Flurries...

Flurries, like the butterfly feeling you have in your stomach.

Well that's how my head has felt lately..

I have a bunch of ideas that I keep bouncing around, and it has been overwhelming and very unproductive trying to get projects done.

In an attempt to clear my head, finish some wips, and get my etsy stocked up, I am going to step back from the computer for the next few days or so..

This is one of the projects that I have been working on and have been so excited about. I am making an improved version of the memory game that I made a few of last Christmas. I will be making an alphabet and an i spy version of the memory game, with a lined drawstring bag for storage. It is kinda ridiculous how giddy I am to be finally getting this idea out of my head...
I received a wonderful array of fabrics from A bit of this and a bit of that's giveaway. I swear I have some kind of giveaway karma, because I have seemed to won a giveaway after having my own giveaway.. The fabrics are mostly blends, and super silky. I was thinking they would be nice for drawstring bags, and ideas?
Finally made Adriano some new booties. They are lined with super soft fleece, and are oh so cuddly. They are also my practice pair for 12-18 month size booties for my shop.
I needed the larger size for the reversible baby shoe pdf that I am working on! (check back in a week or so!!)

I needed a break from drawstring bags and tiny memory game squares, so I made up this little RAR! dinosaur embroidery for Cristian's room. We watched Transformer's when it came to video on Tuesday, and I couldn't sit still the whole movie without doing some hand sewing ^_^

I also realized how much more I love these wooden hoops than the plastic Clover hoop I have been using for so long..

I picked up some craft books, because well my sewing book stash is obsolete, and I am hoping to get inspired for some Christmas gifts.
Both of these have some great patterns and projects. I plan to (finally) make Christmas stockings for my family this year.
I made up some little trick-or-treat totes for the kids to use this Saturday. I love the wee mummy on this fabric!
I started to make some simple cards to include with my etsy orders. I had some blank cards and envelopes leftover from wedding thank you's (which I just got the pictures from and are sending out this week!). I picked up a scrapbook paper pack, and a thank you stamp, and just added a little button.
I made up another Emmeline Apron for my sister to give as a gift. It was nice to use this pretty pattern again, I haven't made one since Christmas gifts last year. Maybe I can finally make one for myself :)

Weekend Inspiration

Where the Wild Things are came out this week.

I loved this book as a kid, and now this is a favorite bedtime book for my kids.

Some of my favorites..

Upcycled envelopes from Cat Taylor Designs.
Flannel Board Felt Set by Fun Felt Stories

Wild Things Wolf Pajama's by HandPickedNecklaces

Where the Wild Things Are Wood painting by FrenchLanguage

One Pretty Thing also has a great Where the Wild Things Are Roundup.

Apple Pickin'

Took advantage of the warm weather today! It was gorgeous and around 58 F, and I am sure this is the last of warm-ish days!My Aunt and Sister in law all met up this morning at a local Orchard.

We got a big wagon and headed out to the field
Cristian picking apples

Adriano in the pumpkin patch
And my nephew, Milo and Cristian being silly. I think my nephew looks cute with long blond hair :)

This is the apple haul I came home with. The three of us split 1/2 bushel. We picked Golden Delicious, Jonathan and Mutsu.

I was really surprised how yummy some of the apples were right from the tree. I haven't like golden delicious from the store before, they have always been too soft and mealy. But when we picked them today, they were crisp and sweet and so yummy. I think we all ate more than a half bushel of apples while out in the orchard ^_^

I would have thought that was enough, but both of my wee ones ate two more apple when we got home!

Yummy apple cider doughnuts. Soft on the inside like a yeast doughnut, but thick like a cake doughnut. just perfect. Half the box is already gone :)

Reusable Bags

A Few of my favorite snack bags I have made up.

I made up a ton more last week, trying to get a little bit of a selection in my Etsy.

Some Reusable snack/lunch bag tutorial links :

We Wilsons Reusable snack bag tutorial

ReproDepot Reusable snack Sack

Pretty Penny Reusable Lunch Bag tutorial

Betz White's Reusable Sandwhich Wrap tutorial

And here is a great tute, with no exposed seams. Similiar to how I am making mine.

Another great tute by Life with Nature Girl.

I also just picked up a pattern to make an insulated lunch bag, I will have to try it out soon..

*Does anybody have any experience with creating pdf files?

I have been working on a baby shoe tutorial, and I have all the pictures and text,

but I do not know how to make it into a pdf.

I have tried Adobe, but it tells me it is unable to load .pdf files..*

Sunday Stash #6

Robot Fabrics.

I think the green one is just awesome!

The other is a little bold and busy, but way too cute to pass up!

check out other Sunday Stasher's here,

and on 1/4 of an inch' blog.

OH! A pair of my Wool Baby Boots are featured in a lovely treasury!

Pumpkins..

We went to a local pumpkin farm last week with playgroup.

This is the same pumpkin farm I always went to as a child and I remember the displays being so fun and cool, and the haunted bus scared me to death. There was always something at the end of the bus that was 'dead' and jumped out at you, and I always would run out screaming :)Cristian checking out the Sesame Street pumpkin display. I loved the little pumpkin Elmo.
Picking out a pumpkin. He was saying 'ugh, really really heavy!' in his grunty voice that he does.
We carved the pumpkin last weekend.
Somehow as a kid I remember this taking much more time to do.
and lots more 'pumpkin guts' to dig through to get the pumpkin seeds out..

Cristian and the jack-o-lantern. I ended up making the eyes bigger, so more light would shine through.
He thought it was really fun, and kept telling me what I was carving out -' look he got it the ojos!' (eyes)
and 'oh the cupcake got a face!
As many times as I have tried to correct him, he still calls pumpkin 'cupcake'. :)

WIP Wednesday

I picked up some fabrics to make an Emmeline Apron for my sister to give as a gift. I haven't made one since last Christmas, it will be fun to make another. ( I think this will be #4 I have made as a gift?)I started to make some blocks for a Spiderweb Quilt. I will be using all my scraps, so hubby is calling this my recycled quilt.

I was loving all the blocks Katy was making, then I picked up a Sew Hip, and there was a tutorial (not paper pieced) and that's when I figured I should go for it.
I made up block #2 last night.
I will probably need to make 60 or so blocks, but I think I will just stop making blocks when my scraps run out :)

Handmade birthday gifts.

Well, it wouldn't be a special day without tamales. I spent Saturday morning (we celebrated both birthdays on Saturday) making close to 200 tamales. Kiki enjoyed smacking the spoon down to get the masa on the corn. (he is making tamales dulce, or sweet strawberry tamales. hence the bright red masa dough)
about 1/4 of the tamales that I made up.
I made pollo roja (red chicken),
polla verde (green chicken),
chile con queso (chile with cheese and tomato),
and dulce (sweet strawberry)

I made up two little robot softies.

I based it off of this tutorial by GoodyGoody.

I made it bigger, and added legs.

Body- 6x6. Pocket 6x6. Head 3.75x4. Arms 2x3. Legs 2x8.

The front belly has a little pocket so you can use it for a tooth, or whatever my kiddos will choose to stuff in there..

I made a blanket with the Bob the Builder fabric I picked up.

The blanket is big, 45x50 or so.

I used cotton batting and backed it with flannel, so it is super warm.

Kiki likes to snuggle with it while watching a Bob the builder movie and playing with his Bob the builder Lego set he got for his birthday.

A Happy Birthday Banner.

This is a bad picture, but the bunting is 3 feet long, and it is hard to get a picture of something that big.

I actually started to work on this the night before their birthday. This was my first time doing applique, or using craft fuse, and I cut out all the letters and ironed them to the craft fuse, only for it to be backwards.

Lesson learned- don't wait until the last minute and iron to the wrong side of your picture or words!

I followed this tutorial, because I liked the scallop flags rather than the triangles flags that are so popular.

They also got lots of much needed bigger clothes, some books, a Handy Manny toy which Kiki loves, a wooden train, a semi truck that launches cars, and a piano/ ball and hammer toy. All of which they still are not bored with yet!

One Lovely Blog Award

Wow, Libery Original tagged me for a blog award. How very Sweet!

The rules of the "One Lovely Blog Award" are:

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.

Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

One Inch World. So many cute craft ideas on this blog. Check out the cute halloween balls in her shop..

Sasikirana Handmade.

Evelyn Fields.

Retro Mama

Camp Cupcake

luvinthemommyhood

Me? A mom?

Some gifties

:: Caution, there will be a sock monkey overload to follow::

Ok, So I wanted to make up some gifties for my very awesome sister as a thank you. She let our whole family stay with her while visiting in CO.
This is the first little zippered pouch that I made up. I used 'Texture' and Sock Monkey Plaid' from Erin Michaels goodnight monkey line for Moda.
here is a close up of the embroidery. He looked a little oriental and angry because I am not good with french knots, so since I wasnt completly happy I made another
but then I wasn't happy with this zipper.

So I did two reverse applique patches on this pouch, and I used 'Monkey'n Round' with some cordinating cotton and 'Texture'
a little sock monkey reusable snack pouch
And a fabric basket!

Whew, are you sick of seeing sock monkeys now?

Tutorial for the reverse applique zipper pouch can be found here.

Sock Monkey embroidery is from Urban Threads.

One

1 today.

I would have thought this would be easier, since Cristian has already had a first birthday.

But its not.

Somehow this means your not my little baby anymore.

not that you were ever very little..

You are such a self motivated little guy.

you started cruising the furniture this week.

(you started Cristian was dragging a toy on the couch away from you)

you realized the funess in flushing the toilet.

You are a hugger, a cuddler. Always have been. Most of the time when I pick you up, you squeeze your little arms around my neck, and nuzzle into me.

It's the sweetest thing in the world.

You are amazed by your big brother, he makes you laugh and giggle in ways that I never have been able to.

You have made me a better mom, and nothing wouldnt be the same without you.

Happy first birthday my Chiquitin, Adriano.

Birthday gifties

My good friend's daughter turned 7 this week. She had seen the other tiny buttercup bag I made and asked me to make one for her daughter.She told me she likes blue, but I still wanted it to be girly. I made a tiny 3 inch velcro pouch to go with it. Coordinating polka dot lining.

I also made her a little doodle zipper pouch. I thought it would be cute and fun for her to be able to decorate it herself. I used white linen, and sewed little blue lines across the pouch, to resemble notebook paper.
I think she likes it all, and I was glad to not have to buy a Barbie :)

birthday day..

A birthday wrap up..

I think Cristian had a fun day, I tired to do some fun, special things for him.

both kids woke up so happy.

We did a Halloween sticker craft in the morning.

I made arroz con leche for a yummy morning snack..
I let Cristian make cupcakes. He did all the stirring by himself, and did really good spooning the batter into the cupcake liners. I was really surprised.
he even frosted his own cupcake.

We went to the nature center to find acorns. He didn't know what what we were looking for, but as soon as he saw one, he said 'Silly cacahuete Ice Age! (because of that silly squirrel and the acorns in the movie..)
Here is the acorn haul he gathered up.

I kept saying, Happy birthday Cristian! But he didn't really *get* what was so special about that day.. Maybe when he opens all his presents he will..